http://www.minti.com/members/izzy/advice/ Most Recent Advice on Minti by Izzy Copyright 2009 Minti en-uk Izzy I’ve heard of women who has plans on breastfeeding, but once they hear they’re having twins they don’t think it’s possible. Will I have enough milk? Will it take a lot of time? How can I possibly do it?Breastfeeding is not easy. It doesn’t come naturally. So the first and most important thing to do is to have support. If ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/10370/Breastfeeding-Twins-Yes-its-Possible/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/10370/Breastfeeding-Twins-Yes-its-Possible/ Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:39:16 -0800 Izzy I came across this book, Everything for Early Learning, Preschool by American Education Publishing  at the store the other day and decided to get it in order to help my 3 year old review his letters, learn his lower case letters and learn to write. For $7.95 USD, I find it to be the most useful activity book so far ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/9178/Early-Learning-Book-for-Preschoolers/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/9178/Early-Learning-Book-for-Preschoolers/ Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:54:37 -0700 Izzy Re: Grinding teeth while sleepingAsked by ElaineRQuestion: Any ideas in how to get a twelve year old to stop grinding her teeth in her sleep.  I have spoke to the dentist about it but didn't get any advice.  Her adult teeth molars are  not in yet but you can see the damage down on her milk teeth.  Her dental bills will ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/8707/Preventing-Teeth-Damage-When-Grinding-Teeth-During-Sleep/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/8707/Preventing-Teeth-Damage-When-Grinding-Teeth-During-Sleep/ Thu, 24 Apr 2008 05:43:23 -0700 Izzy If your twins are still infants and happens to be of the same sex, it isn't so easy to tell if they are fraternal or identical twins. So how can you tell? How can you find out? Let me begin by defining terms.Fraternal Twins two eggs fertilized by two different sperms (dizygotic twins) could be the same ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/8448/Are-My-Twins-Fraternal-or-Identical/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/8448/Are-My-Twins-Fraternal-or-Identical/ Sat, 15 Mar 2008 06:28:55 -0700 Izzy At 9 weeks, after giving my twins a bath, I noticed for the first time that the right side of their heads has become flat. Katie has it worst than Jojo and it worried me. I went online and googled “flat head”. I found a lot of information.Plagiocephaly is the term for the flattening of the side of the head. ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/8164/Repositioning-Therapy-to-Correct-Flat-Head-or-Plagiocephaly/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/8164/Repositioning-Therapy-to-Correct-Flat-Head-or-Plagiocephaly/ Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:55:27 -0800 Izzy Pregnancy lasts 40 weeks. In order for a doctor to calculate your due date, you are asked to give the first day of your last period and they use their little handy calendar wheel and come up with an estimated due date (counting 40 weeks from the date of your last period). Wait. They start counting from the first day ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7824/1-2-Weeks-Pregnant/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7824/1-2-Weeks-Pregnant/ Fri, 09 Nov 2007 19:13:46 -0800 Izzy Re: RSV vaccineAsked by lindterbeanQuestion:This was brought up by our doctor for discussion since our son has many of the risk factors. Does anyone have any experience with this? It is quite expensive and requires a 6 month committment, but if it is important. . .Any thoughts?My Advice:Respiratory Synctal Virus (RSV) is a virus that can cause a number of lung ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7811/Keeping-RSV-at-Bay-RSV-Vaccine/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7811/Keeping-RSV-at-Bay-RSV-Vaccine/ Fri, 09 Nov 2007 03:58:07 -0800 Izzy I have a 2 ½ year old who is very independent, very curious, very intense, very observant, and very very strong-willed. Sound like your toddler? If so, then you know how frustrating day to day life can be. But who is trully the problem here? Me or my toddler? Independence, curiosity, strong-mindedness….are these bad traits? No, they aren’t. They are ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7804/Parenting-a-Toddler-with-Minimal-Screaming/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7804/Parenting-a-Toddler-with-Minimal-Screaming/ Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:45:39 -0800 Izzy  Being parents, we not only have to get ourselves out of the car in case of emergency, we also need to get our children out. And in a true emergency, we only have minutes, if not seconds to get out. If you have more than one child, and a seat bealt is stuck, what then? That’s precious minutes ticking by ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7774/LifeHammer-Auto-Emergency-Escape-Tool/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7774/LifeHammer-Auto-Emergency-Escape-Tool/ Thu, 01 Nov 2007 05:07:23 -0700 Izzy My children’s pediatrician informed me earlier this week that the nasal spray flu vaccine has been approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for children between the ages of 2 and 5. He said it has been proven to be more effective in healthy children compared to the flu shot.Where as the flu shot contains dead flu ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7658/Nasal-Spray-Flu-Vaccine/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7658/Nasal-Spray-Flu-Vaccine/ Mon, 15 Oct 2007 09:23:02 -0700 Izzy A few days ago, announcements of drug recalls bombarded the news. Makers of  cough and cold drugs that were being marketed for infants (2 years old and under) were recalled voluntarilly and will not be coming back again. This is due to instances of overdose.Most of us have given our babies some sort of cold and cough medicine at one ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7645/Over-the-Counter-Cough-and-Cold-Drugs-for-Infants-Recalled/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7645/Over-the-Counter-Cough-and-Cold-Drugs-for-Infants-Recalled/ Sun, 14 Oct 2007 07:59:37 -0700 Izzy I have already decided to breastfeed my twins, even before they were born. I have a Medela Pump in Style at home, tha t I used when I had my son. I used it during the first few months so that I could have a supply for when I went out. I was a pro at using it.Or so I ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7599/Medela-BreastPump-Why-Am-I-Expressing-Very-Little-Milk/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7599/Medela-BreastPump-Why-Am-I-Expressing-Very-Little-Milk/ Mon, 08 Oct 2007 10:51:53 -0700 Izzy My twin girls were delivered 6 ½ weeks early, on June 4th (Monday), via c-section and here is my story.On May 29th  (Wednesday), at 33 weeks, I noticed that I could no longer complete a 1 ½ hour grocery trip without complaining that it was getting hard. (Read about it on my blog here ) On May 30th (Thursday), I ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7574/Twins-My-Story-of-Preterm-Labor/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7574/Twins-My-Story-of-Preterm-Labor/ Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:12:10 -0700 Izzy When I had my son (my first), I used a midrange price Bassinet  so that I could have him beside me. This made breastfeeding easier. In addition to waking up every couple of hours to nurse, I woke up every hour (sometimes every half hour) just so I could peak at him and see if he was still breathing. Having to ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7550/Arms-Reach-Co-sleeper-Bassinet/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7550/Arms-Reach-Co-sleeper-Bassinet/ Mon, 01 Oct 2007 05:57:37 -0700 Izzy  I am a stay at home mom of identical twin girls who are currently (Sept 07) almost 3 months old and a son who is 2 ½ years old. Life is very busy. I don’t have family around to help me on a daily basis, so I have gathered a list of things that have made my life easier. If ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7320/Twins-Essential-Gears-to-Make-Life-Easier/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7320/Twins-Essential-Gears-to-Make-Life-Easier/ Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:24:18 -0700 Izzy Carrying twins automatically classifies the pregnancy as high-risk. This means that you will be monitored by your obstetrician and a perinatologist. Perinatologists are specialists who have the same education as an obstetrician, plus four more years of specialist study on high-risk pregnancies.  On my first visit to my OB at 8 weeks, I had an ultrasound and that is when my ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5372/High-Risk-Pregnancy-Twins/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5372/High-Risk-Pregnancy-Twins/ Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:33:31 -0700 Izzy  Did you have a shock of a lifetime when your sonographer told you that you’re having twins on your first ultrasound? My husband and I surely did! WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FRATERNAL AND IDENTICAL TWINS?Fraternal twins or dizygotic twins come from two eggs. A woman ovulates and releases two eggs (one from each of the ovaries), which are then ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5313/Pregnant-with-Twins/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/5313/Pregnant-with-Twins/ Fri, 30 Mar 2007 16:30:10 -0700 Izzy Hi everyone, I was just wondering how long after you start trying for a new baby can you do a pregnancy test. Also are any home tests better and more accurate than others? Thanks guys. First, some background information. After an egg is fertilized by a sperm, the egg has to travel down teh fallopian tube down to the uterus ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3814/When-to-Use-a-Home-Pregnancy-Test/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/3814/When-to-Use-a-Home-Pregnancy-Test/ Sat, 13 Oct 2007 19:44:37 -0700 Izzy One of the dangers for infants and youngchildren at home is the possibility of getting burned from touching hot things. How do we teach the word “hot” and “cold” so as to avoid potentially serious accidents in the future?When my son was about 6-7 months old, even before he could crawl, I introduced the word “hot” by letting him touch something ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/1913/Teaching-Infants-about-Hot--Cold/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/1913/Teaching-Infants-about-Hot--Cold/ Sat, 13 Oct 2007 19:45:32 -0700 Izzy My 18 month old son is suffering from viral Croup right now, and it is very tough on him. What is Croup? Croup is a viral infection that starts out with a mild cold (runny nose) for the first few days and turns into barking-like cough. The cough is very characteristic and sounds like a barking seal. This is caused ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/1606/Barky-Cough-How-to-Handle-Croup/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/1606/Barky-Cough-How-to-Handle-Croup/ Mon, 25 Sep 2006 11:58:34 -0700 Izzy Last night, I attended a 3 hour seminar on “Protecting God’s Children” at my church. This is required for all volunteers/workers who have contact with children. During the class, we saw a video in which 3 victims and 2 offenders were interviewed. One of the offender’s preferred victims were children between the age of 5 and 10 years old. This ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/1252/Preventing-Child-Sexual-Abuse/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/1252/Preventing-Child-Sexual-Abuse/ Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:14:25 -0700 Izzy Consider designating one parent as the sole medicine giver in the family to prevent overdose. This means medicine is only given by one parent and one parent only. In instances where that parent is not present, the other must check with him/her first before administering any medicine (even over the counter drugs). When there is no designated parent, it is ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/836/Medicine-Mom-or-Medicine-Dad/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/836/Medicine-Mom-or-Medicine-Dad/ Tue, 01 Aug 2006 13:05:22 -0700 Izzy My husband and I moved to our current residence when I was 4 months pregnant. This was a new place where we had no family and certainly no friends. While my husband had his work to make new friends, I didn’t. I was about to have a child and had no support system. What do I do? How do I ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/769/Make-Friends-by-Volunteering/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/769/Make-Friends-by-Volunteering/ Mon, 24 Jul 2006 13:35:23 -0700 Izzy I'm a stay at home mom so during my waking hours, my mind is full of things that I have to do, forgot to do, and things I haven't done. Everywhere I look, I see reminders of these things. Even if I haven't really picked up a finger and done anything, I'm already exhausted. Life is too serious, so if ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/691/Have-a-Belly-Laugh/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/691/Have-a-Belly-Laugh/ Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:15:58 -0700 Izzy You should start acclimating your dog to children at a very young age. If you get a puppy and know that you will have children one day, there are a lot of things you can do to start now. Take your dog to basic obedience training. The importance of obedience training goes beyond sit, stay, down. Your dog ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/651/Living-Harmoniously-Your-Dog--Your-Child/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/651/Living-Harmoniously-Your-Dog--Your-Child/ Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:28:56 -0700 Izzy When Matthew was 8 months old, my husband and I had to leave him to a friend to see a holiday concert for the evening. When we picked him up, the friend reported that he was extremely interested in their child’s Playtex sippy cup. At the time, Matthew was still using Avent baby bottles for milk. Occasionally I gave him ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/627/Sippy-Cups-When-Which-ones/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/627/Sippy-Cups-When-Which-ones/ Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:37:23 -0700 Izzy Choosing pajamas for our little ones should go beyond the cuteness factor. We have to think about protecting them from burn injuries. Children can get serious burn injuries when they play with fire (matches, lighters, stoves, candles). As much as we want to protect them and take these burn hazards away from where the children can get to them, accidents ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/616/Safe-Sleepwear/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/616/Safe-Sleepwear/ Thu, 29 Jun 2006 12:58:45 -0700 Izzy We don't have enough time in the day as it is, so why waste time in the store fiddling with products and debating whether something will withstand the test of time (or at least our little one's mouths). Being parents, we see on a daily basis whether something is really durable and really a good buy. Our little ones are after ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/453/Reading--Writing-Product-Reviews/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/453/Reading--Writing-Product-Reviews/ Tue, 13 Jun 2006 09:31:20 -0700 Izzy It is great to see Minti growing! When I signed up, things were fairly quiet. Now that Minti is taking off, I just have a few thoughts to share when it comes to writing advice. This is in no way a "put down" to the people writing advice. In fact, I want to encourage it. It will do me, and ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/451/Writing-Advice-that-Will-Benefit-Us-All/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/451/Writing-Advice-that-Will-Benefit-Us-All/ Fri, 01 Jun 2007 06:30:05 -0700 Izzy NOTE: Most articles about nipple confusion refer to babies having trouble switching from bottle to breast, but my experience as I have described it below refers to confusion between different kinds of nipples. Matthew was born via caesarean section so he was taken away for some tests shortly after he was born. When he was returned back to me, he ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/407/Nipple-Confusion-My-Experience/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/407/Nipple-Confusion-My-Experience/ Mon, 17 Jul 2006 05:18:39 -0700 Izzy Ceasarean sections are becoming more and more common nowadays, so it will be to your advantage to learn all you can. I went into labor on my own, which lasted 18 hours. Three hours of this labor was pushing, but I still wasn't able to get my son out so I had a c-section. Though I was unprepared for this ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/382/Tips-to-Make-Recovery-from-Ceasarean-Section-Easier/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/382/Tips-to-Make-Recovery-from-Ceasarean-Section-Easier/ Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:31:17 -0700 Izzy Depending on the temperament your baby is born with (easy, mellow, high-need) it may be necessary for you to wear your baby. Before Matthew was born, I purchased a Baby Bjorn not really understanding the benefits of baby wearing. At 4 months, Matthew outgrew the Bjorn so that was the end of that. A couple of months passed and life ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/339/Baby-Wearing/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/339/Baby-Wearing/ Mon, 29 May 2006 07:50:37 -0700 Izzy How do I help my toddler who is 21 months from not being scared and want to get off little toddler cars. He is fine in his real trike, which straps him in around the waist. If it is because of this, what advice can you give to slowly help him get over his fear.I agree with mrslunar, if your ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/331/Model-for-your-children/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/331/Model-for-your-children/ Sun, 28 May 2006 15:53:46 -0700 Izzy Matthew's first trip to the hospital pediatric emergency room was a week before his birthday. He climbed a toy chest, which he often did, and fell. He hit his chin on the edge of the toy chest and bit his lip. There was a lot of bleeding, which scared me to hysterics. There was a cut on the outside and ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/329/Cuts-Do-you-need-to-go-to-the-ER/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/329/Cuts-Do-you-need-to-go-to-the-ER/ Sat, 27 May 2006 19:39:10 -0700 Izzy Why are some people so against the baby sleeping with mom and dad? If neither of them mind it, then what's the problem?I am an advocate of co-sleeping. For me, it wasn't just a choice it was a necessity in order to keep my sanity. My son Matthew, who is now 14 months has been sleeping with my husband and ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/323/Co-Sleeping/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/323/Co-Sleeping/ Fri, 26 May 2006 13:42:52 -0700 Izzy Have you heard of the the term High-Need baby? Highly spirited? Highly active? I first heard the term High-Need when I picked up a Dr. Sears book when my son was about 6 months old. At that time, I thought I was doing everything wrong in terms of raising my son because nothing I was doing was working for him.FEATURES ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/320/What-is-a-High-Need-baby/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/320/What-is-a-High-Need-baby/ Sun, 28 May 2006 08:46:49 -0700 Izzy Penile adhesion refers to the foreskin attaching to the head of the penis. This occurs as one of the complications of circumsicion though not very common.My son, Matthew, was circumcised in the hospital at 3 days old. When the nurse took him back to us after the procedure was done, she instructed my husband and I how to take care of ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/319/Penile-Adhesion-After-Circumcision/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/319/Penile-Adhesion-After-Circumcision/ Wed, 07 Jun 2006 05:34:18 -0700 Izzy My daughter of 10 months all of a sudden cries everytime I put her on the change table to change her nappy. I try everything to distract her but nothing works until I pick her up. Any advice?My son did the same thing. Once he could crawl, he hated getting his diaper changed. They've just discovered being able to get ... http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/308/mobile-babies/ http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/308/mobile-babies/ Tue, 27 May 2008 17:02:27 -0700